UPDATED 8/8, 8:15 p.m. ET: Nets owner Joseph Tsai took to Twitter Monday to declare that he stands behind the team’s front office and coaching staff.
“Our front office and coaching staff have my support,” Tsai wrote. “We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.”
Tsai’s tweet comes hours after the Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Kevin Durant met with the Nets owner over the weekend and told Tsai he will need to choose between the 12-time NBA All-Star or general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.
See original story below.
Kevin Durant has given the Brooklyn Nets an ultimatum.
Shams Charania of the Athletic reports that KD has asked Nets owner Joseph Tsai to choose between keeping him or general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.
“Durant stated he does not have faith in the team’s direction,” sources told the outlet. According to Shams, Durant spoke with Tsai in London this past weekend, with insiders describing the discussion as “transparent and professional.”
Back in June, Durant requested a trade just a few days after Kyrie Irving decided to exercise his player option to return to the Nets next season. At the time, Woj reported that Brooklyn’s front office hadn’t had any contract with either Irving or KD since the former announced he was opting in on June 27.
“Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had no contact with the franchise after Irving opted into his deal on Monday, and a sense of inevitability existed that Durant would eventually ask for a trade, sources tell ESPN. It happened today,” he wrote on Twitter.
At the time, Woj reported that the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns are among the teams on KD’s wish list.
“The Nets plan to move Durant where they can get the best possible deal,” Woj said. “With four years on his contract, there’s no shortage of teams willing to unload assets for Durant.”
